A ministerial panel approved a bill to establish a special court for Gazans involved in the Hamas-led Oct. 7 attacks, despite juridical opposition.
Israel’s Ministerial Committee for Legislation on Sunday approved a bill to create special tribunals to try Gazans accused of participating in the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas-led invasion of southern Israel.
The bill, proposed by Knesset members Simcha Rothman (Religious Zionism) and Yulia Malinovsky (Yisrael Beiteinu), defines the acts perpetrated on Oct. 7, 2023 as genocidal and as crimes against humanity, requiring a unique judicial framework separate from Israel’s regular court system.
The legislation would create a 15-judge tribunal, composed of top Israeli jurists and international legal experts, with the authority to deviate from standard criminal procedures to expedite trials, protect victims and accommodate high-profile, multi-defendant cases. Appeals would be heard by all 15 judges.
A steering committee comprising appointees from the ministries of justice, defense and foreign affairs would determine who is indicted, based on national security and diplomatic considerations, according to the document, titled “A Bill for the Incarceration and Prosecution of Perpetrators of the Events of Oct. 7.” Its two authors submitted it in November.